Fig. 8

Representative images of CCL2 immunostained neocortex sections from naïve (a), EAE-affected (b, d; cs 3.5), and EAE-affected MSC-treated (c; cs 2.25) mice, sacrificed 24 h after MSC treatment. a A barely detectable CCL2 staining of surveillant microglia in the neocortex of naïve mice; note a CCL2-stained microvessel (arrow). b, c Strongly CCL2-stained, hypertrophic microglial cells dominate the neocortex of EAE-affected mice and, albeit with reduced features of microgliosis, are also clearly recognizable in the cortex of EAE-affected MSC-treated mice. d At a higher magnification, reactive microglial cells show hypertrophic profiles with stout, ‘thorny’ cell processes (arrows) and fuse to form cell clusters (arrowheads). TOPRO-3 nuclear counterstaining. Scale bars: a–c 25 µm; d 15 µm